Alan Stewart’s UK and Ireland family history news

London school records go online

School admission and discharge records for London from 1840-1911 have been made available online.

Ancestry.co.uk has added a London school records collection, which covers more than a million students from 843 different schools. Ancestry says: “In 1833, Parliament started to provide money for the construction of schools for poor children, although it was still largely a private affair. Mandatory schooling was a local decision until 1870, when children were required to attend from age 5 to 10. By 1918, education was required up to the age of 14.

“These records are lists of children who were admitted to and discharged from schools. When education was required, children could be discharged from their schooling if they were needed to work to help support the family. The records vary by school and some are more detailed than others. The records include: